Sock-sole for boots or shoes



o. J. BAILEY. SOGK SOLE FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BAILEY, OE NEVTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Y

`SOCK-SOLE FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,592, dated January 5, 1892.

Application filed August 4, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. BAILEY, of Newton, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sock-Soles for Boots or Shoes,rof which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specication, like letters and figures on the drawings rep resentinglike parts.

Boots and shoes as commonly made are provided with solid heels secured in position by nails, thereby presenting an unyielding object beneath the heel, so that in walking the wearer is subjected to va series of sudden jars or shocks. Such sudden jars or shocks to the body appear in themselves to be slight, and hence unimportant; but it has been discovered that the excessively large numberl of sudden jars or shocks to the body each day affects the general health and produces or greatly aggravates certain diseases. Many devices have been made by which such sudden jars or shocks maybe overcome; but on account of their peculiar construction they are objectionable-eas, for instance, a heel-sock or sock-lift hasbeen made of rubber and provided on its under side with a number of solid projections. Such form is objectionable, because the rubber is too heating tothe foot and be-y cause the solid projections are felt as hard spots by the wearer.

Sock-soles have been made composed of a layer of thin leather and a layer of rubber, having on them a series of transverse ribs and also a large number of pyramidal projections;

but such forms are objectionable, because the ribs and projections are felt as hard spots by the wearer. In fact, all the constructions known to me which may be adapted for the purpose contain solid proj ections or ribs, which when in use will be felt by the wearer, and are hence objectionable.

This invention has for its object to construct a sock-lift which may be placed in a boot or shoe and attached to the inner sole thereof or not, as desired, but which is yielding evenly over the entire surface which comes in contact with the tread of the foot.

In order to carry out this invention, I have secured to the under side of a piece of thin leather or other suitable material madeheelshaped a layer of rubber provided with a (foundation. vvided beneath the heel to take up or overserai No. 401,701. (naman.)

large number of cellular or socketed collapsible projections. By making said projections annular, and also by making the s1d e walls thereof quite thin, a suitable space. 1s provided on each side of said walls to receive the material thereof when compressed, and hence no hard spots will be felt by the wearer.

Figure l shows in longitudinal section a sock-lift embodying this invention; Fig. 2,an under side view of the sock-lift shown in Flg.

1, and FigQS an enlarged view in perspective Vof a portion of the yielding material to be referred to.

The layer a of leather or equivalent malterialvhas secured to its under side a layer b of rubber, upon the under side of which is formed a number of collapsible cellular or socketed projections c. The projections c have, as shown, thin side walls, and, belng made cellular or socketed, a sufficient space 1s left oneach side of said thin walls to recelve the material when the projections are compressed. The projections are preferably made substantially frusto-conical in shape, as shown. When solid projections or ribs are Vemployed which cannot be compressed so as to lie substantially iat by the weight of the person small hard spots or bunches w1ll be felt by the wearer; but with the construction herein shown and described no such hard spots or bunches willbe felt, as the weight of the person will compress the thin cellular projections substantially flat and so as to cover substantially the entire surface of the rubber A yielding cushion is hence procome the sudden jars or shocks incident to walking, said cushion being yielding evenly over its entire surface. v

To fasten the sock-lift to the insole, I provide tacks 2, which pass through the rubber layer b only, the heads of said tacks being thereby concealed between the layers a l), and hence prevented from injuring the stocking or foot.

1. The sock-lift for boots or shoes herein shown and described, consisting of a thin piece of leather and a thin layer of rubber secured to the under side of said leather and a'number of frusto-conical cellular collapsible projections with thin side walls formed on the un- IOO der side of said rubber layer, leavnmfT spaces between the said side Walls to receive them when compressed or flattened lo cover substantially the entire under surface of said 5 rubber layer, substantially as described.

2. The sock-lift for boots or shoes herein shown anddescribed, consisting' of athin piece of leather and :i thin layer of rubber secured to the under side of said leather and a number 1o of cellular or socketed collapsible projections on the under side of seid rubber layer, said projections when collapsed forming :L cushion yielding evenly over its entire surface, and the fzistenings, as tacks 2, the heads of which are concealed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my neme to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. BALEY.

Witnesses:

BERNICE J. NoYEs,

FRANCES M. NOBLE. 

